Regional leaders set to discuss Burundi

A man suspected to be an ‘Imbonerakure’, or member of the Youth League of Burundi’s ruling party, is attacked yesterday in Bujumbura. He managed to escape a lynching when he hid himself in a gutter from where officers from Burundi’s military finally saved him. PHOTO | AFP      

By Boniface Meena and Pati Magubira, The Citizen Reporters

In Summary

The summit has been convened by the Summit chairman, President Jakaya Kikwete, to discuss the ongoing political crisis in Burundi ignited by President Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term.

Bujumbura/Arusha. Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza (pictured) will have some explaining to do when the East African Community (EAC) heads of state meet in an extraordinary Summit in Dar es Salaam on May 13, The Citizen has learnt.

The summit has been convened by the Summit chairman, President Jakaya Kikwete, to discuss the ongoing political crisis in Burundi ignited by President Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term.

At least 12 people have been killed since protests broke out last Sunday and the number of people fleeing into neighbouring countries has risen to over 30,000, according to aid agencies.

The minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Bernard Membe, said in Bujumbura that the Burundian embattled leader was asked to address some pertinent issues during a fact-finding mission organised by President Kikwete to see how the EAC could resolve the political crisis.

On Tuesday, Mr Kikwete asked foreign affairs ministers from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda to visit Burundi on a fact-finding mission and come up with proposals that could lead to finding a lasting solution to crisis during the EAC extraordinary summit next week.

Mr Membe said the issues included the holding of free, fair and peaceful elections as well as assurance on the rule of law after the elections slated for June 26. “We asked the Burundian leader to address these areas during the summit,” said Mr Membe who was the chairman of the fact-finding mission.

Others were Rwandan minister for Foreign Affairs Louise Mushikiwabo and her Kenyan counterpart Amina Mohamed. The mission also held talks with leaders of Burundian opposition parties, said Mr Membe.

Meanwhile, head of the EU delegation to Tanzania, Filiberto Sebregondi, has urged the Burundi government to respect both the country’s constitution and the Arusha Peace Accord ahead of the June presidential election.

His statement came a few days after the Constitutional Court approved the nomination of Mr Nkurunziza as the ruling CNDD-FDD party’s presidential election.

“We (European Union) are closely following up on the development in the country along with the East African Community (EAC) and other institutions in the region,” the envoy said during the commemoration of the European Union Day in Arusha on Wednesday.

He said the EU had released Euro1.5 million to meet the immediate needs for assistance and protection of Burundi refugees in neighbouring countries.

The funding is part of the Euro 47 million of the total humanitarian aid foreseen for the Great Lakes region for 2015, and follows the increase in the number of refugees from the country in the past few weeks.